


A life of my own

by TheStuffOfLegend_10



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Don't Kill Me, F/M, I added it some other ouat characters in the tags bc they will make appearances in the next chapters, Slow Burn, Tragic Romance, first attempt at writing a fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-13 01:11:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10503327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStuffOfLegend_10/pseuds/TheStuffOfLegend_10
Summary: Things can change for people over the years. Even people change. And that's no different for Rumple, because that's his curse. He can never stop changing. Every day he inhabits a different body. The only constant in his life is change. He only hopes some day this might stop. And that day might be closer than he thinks. His own life might start thanks to a woman named Belle.





	

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by the book called "Every you, every me" by David Levithan.  
> Hope whoever is about to read this enjoys it!

His body hurt. Well it was his body for that day, and he didn't even feel like opening his eyes.  
Every day felt like the previous one and completely different at the same time, he didn’t know how to put it but that was just his reality. Each day he had a different body, memories, ideas, thoughts, dreams and it was very hard for him to separate the ones of his own to the ones of that certain body. 

He had a name though, that sort of anchored him, “Rumple”, was his name. He had chosen it himself when he was a wee boy. Even though he couldn’t remember much from his past, he remembered that specific moment: his mum that day was a very beautiful woman, she irradiated peace and serenity. She had told him he should go to bed because it was late but he didn’t want to. That had been one of the best days he had ever had. They had had breakfast together and there had been so many food for him to eat that he din't know where to start, after that he and Alice, his mum’s name, had gone to the woods for a walk and they had ended up arriving to the village. She had let him choose several toys and what to have for dinner. He had loved all of that, but most of all, he had loved the comfort she gave him, the sincere smiles and tight hugs. That night she read him her favorite story called “Rumplestiltskin” and he was her mom's favourite character, despite the main character being the villain. He loved how her mum told the tale, with all the characters’ voices, pauses and everything. He wanted to have magic, just like rumplestiltskin seemed to have. That way he would be able to be just one person with one body. He wanted to be rumplestiltskin, so he did.

This current day felt no particular at all, he woke up in a huge bed and said bed was in a grand bedroom. “So this time I’m rich”- he said to himself. It was always nice to have days like that one. He enjoyed being wealthy and well-known in a kingdom but he knew that wasn’t meant to be for him and neither would he want to lead that sort of life forever. The window was open and as he got closer to it he noticed that he wasn’t in a common castle but in what appeared to be of the king's, or someone’s with as much power. From there he could see the coast and several ships at bay. Guarding them there were soldiers ready to face whatever could come after them. 

He went to the mirror, which was in the other side of the room, and he saw himself for the first time that day. He was tall, with black hair and rough facial features. He very much looked like a soldier or a knight given his body’s posture. He looked around for clothes and while changing, he started the every day’s process. He began to know the person whose body he was inhabitating. His name that day was Gaston, he was 30 years old. He was the son of the King of the northlands, he fancied himself as a hunter, both of animals and women, and despite his wishes he is to marry a woman he had no feelings for.  
Rumple tried bringing the picture of her into the surface but for some unfortunate reason he couldn’t. All he was able to “remember” was her eyes. 

Most of the time the memories and thoughts of the person were still in Rumple’s mind during the days, mixed with his own. Although he wished to have a life of his own, he respected the other person’s life so he didn’t interfere as much as other’s would. He would behave and act as it was expected to, he would use the person’s memories to get their personality and actions right. And that day was not going to be the exception. Or so he thought…

 

He went to have breakfast and found himself completely alone in the dining-room, he tried to remember if he had any more family than his supposed father but he couldn’t. Rumple discovered over the years that if it is too hard or impossible to remember something , that means that person hasn’t thought or cared much about that certain subject or individual.  
There was everything in the table for him to eat, a woman called Stella had told him. And as every other day he woke up starving so he ate until his stomach started to hurt. He decided to go for a walk, he wanted to recognize his surroundings, his home and maybe find something to do to pass the time. Rumple noticed that there weren’t many people around, which was eerie for a castle that was considerably vast. He arrived to the main floor and there he found all the people he thought belong to a castle that big. Men and women were going from one place to another, not even having the time to cast a glance at him. He could feel Gaston reacting enraged at that. Recalling past events from Gaston’s memories, it looked like they were meant to be expecting very important people from another kingdom. 

He hated celebrations and gatherings of the sort. It was very tough for him especially because people would come to him and ask him specific questions about “his” life, and trying to remember the exact thing to answer a question took time, and if he did take the time needed to answer them, people would start looking at him funny. So he tried to avoid them whatever the cost. Not only did he think about himself but also about the person’s well-being, because even the easiest or non-important questions can hold vital information in an answer. 

This Gaston person though, Rumple reckoned, he really seemed to fancy this type of reunions. Unexpectedly enough Rumple found effortless to recall previous ones. If he closed his eyes, he could see everybody looking at Gaston, he was everyone’s topic of conversation, or that was what Gaston asummed. As oppose to that, Rumple could without a doubt notice that several women could not keep his eyes off him. He was a ladies man, and this man knew the effect he had on them. 

He came back to the present when one of the men who were passing by almost knocked him down.  
“Careful there peasant”- Rumple lashed out without thinking.  
He hated when that happened, he absolutely loathed it. He never wanted to hurt others in any way but sometimes when he was distracted, the first instincts of the person would take control.

”I’m sorry my lord”- the man responded with fear in his eyes.

“Stay out of my sight”- Rumple replied, this time keeping his tone down.  
And so the man did without looking back, as if he was frightened Gaston could change his mind and do worse than to yell at him.

“There you are, I was looking for you, where in god's name have you been?” a man asked him. 

“Father?” This man was apparently not going to give him time to check Gaston’s memories if he was in fact his father.

“What’s the matter with you today, eh?”

“Nothing’s wrong father, I was just making sure everything is ready for when our guests arrive”

“They should be here any moment now. Listen, I know that this is not what you wanted, but it is what our kingdom needs. Besides, you can always skip away in the middle of the night when you feel the need to.”

“Right, I’ll do that” he had no idea what his father was talking about but he agreed anyway. What else could he do?

“Remember that Maurice is a man who likes to do things the old-fashioned way, he’s a man of word. He’ll do whatever it takes for our kingdoms to join. Her daughter won’t be an impediment to it.” His father told him trying to calm him.

 

Rumple was relaxed though, because he had no idea what the man was talking about and what Maurice’s daughter should mean to him. After giving it a bit of thought he supposed that maybe he had to marry that woman his father was talking about but as hard as he tried to remember anything about her he couldn’t. Apparently Gaston didn’t pay much attention to his future wife as he should.  
He wondered how she must feel about their upcoming marriage. Given the fact that he had almost no recollection of her apart from her blue eyes, he knew that they weren’t really close, not even friends. Having to spend the rest of your life with a person you barely know might be one, if not the worst, thing that could ever happen to anyone.

 

“My lords, King Maurice and company have arrived, they are waiting for you at the main entrance” said a knight who had just walked trough the lounge.

 

They went to the door to greet the travelers, and even though Rumple didn’t want to do anything but run away and be in a peaceful place, he was a bit curious about this woman who Gaston had to marry.  
Everybody was in the entrance, some cheering the newcomers, waving and smiling at them, and others waiting patiently for his father’s orders. Rumple tried to remain calm and nonchalant, but the truth was that he was frightened of not acting like Gaston would. Surely the villagers and Gaston’s friends would expected him to be the heart and soul of that reunion. Rumple understood and knew Gaston a fair bit by then, but there were many other things he didn’t and most of the times the little things about a person, are the most important and significant ones. 

The 1st carriage came to a stop and a servant opened the door. King Maurice got out of the carriage and waved back to the people, he looked pleased and content to be there. His father and him approached him but before they could shake hands and give him a warm welcome, Maurice extended his hand to the carriage and a hand took it. A young woman in a golden dress got out of the carriage leaving him breathless. She looked at everybody gathered there and gave an appreciative smile for their affection and kindness. After a few seconds of seeing her Rumple knew she was the most beautiful he had ever seen in his lifetime. And now he knew her name, he remembered. Belle.

Belle and her father approached them till they were face to face. People who were witnessing this kept quiet at that moment, so that they wouldn’t miss any word exchanged.

“Giullard, a pleasure to see you again” said Maurice while shaking his hand with him.

“Likewise Maurice, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

 

Rumple didn’t hear the rest of their conversation because he was too concentrated on Belle who was standing right in front him. She looked like she was waiting for him to do something…  
“Right!” he thought. Manners. 

“My... my lady” he said bowing down.

“Gaston, how’ve you been?” she responded, trying to look pleased to see him. 

He had learned to see through people over the years, everybody felt pain but only few showed it. He could notice that she wasn’t really happy, the smiles for the villagers had been real, but right then all he could see was a person who’d rather be anywhere than there, with him. He couldn't blame her, he wanted to flee too.

“I’ve been, alright, just you know… uhm, hunting and... that” he couldn’t remember anything else about Gaston’s activities or hobbys. And he fretted he would not be able to remember more if Belle kept staring at him.

She did not seem surprised with his answer nor interested either.

“And uhm, how are you?” he asked her smiling. He noticed that she was holding a big and apparently heavy book for the looks of it “What’s the book that you’re reading about?” He had been able to form a whole question without stuttering, he prided himself.

Belle looked surprised by his question, she narrowed her eyes at him as if to test the veracity of it. Just as she was about to answer her father interrupted them. 

“Why don’t we get inside? You should be more at ease once you’ve got yourselves more comfortable”

The four of them, and their servants and companions following them close, entered the castle, but before arriving to the great hall his father stopped him and guide him quickly to his chamber. 

“We’ll join them right away, but it’s high time I gave you this” he said and put a little black box in his right hand “ you can propose to Belle whenever you feel ready, but I will advise you to do it tonight so we can start planning your wedding tomorrow at dawn. Now come on, let’s go, they must be waiting for us” King Giullard gave his son a pat on the back and left the room.

He had asummed Gaston had already propose to Belle. He thought they were already engaged. But it seemed like they weren't because one, he did not remember Gaston proposing, and two, well his father had just given him a box which would obviously have a ring inside of it.  
Rumple opened the wee box and wasn’t shocked to find the ring. A gorgeous ring if he had a say in the matter. He closed the box and began to wonder how he was gonna propose to a woman he barely knew, a woman who only with her fixed look could reduce him to a stuttering mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just leave a smiley face, even that would mean a lot to me!lol
> 
> I might have the next chapter this following week!


End file.
